Cutting reel unit for lawn mowers



atenied May 2, 1950 istat CUTTING REEL UNIT FOR LAWN MOWERS Harold L. Blydenburgh, Highland Park, Mich., assignor to The Moto-Mower Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application November 16, 1946, Serial No. 710,243

Claims.

This invention relates to power lawnmowers and in particular to the construction of the cutting reel units of such mowers.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for cutting reel units oi power lawnmowers wherein the unit is made more rigid so as to substantially eliminate the weaving or twisting of the frame thereof and consequently relieve strain and wear upon the cutting reel.

Another object is to provide an improved construction for cutting reel units of power lawnmowers wherein the cutting reel unit, in addition to the cross-rods, is additionally strengthened and made more rigid by a frame structure arranged above and connected to the cross-rods so as to substantially eliminate weaving thereof.

Another object is to provide a cutting reel unit for power lawnmowers wherein an improved construction is provided for the connection of the radius rods which at the same time serves as an adjusting device for the ground roller of the unit.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the fol-f lowing description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the forward portion of a power lawnmower, with the engine removed, showing the improved construction of a cutting reel unit according to a preferred form of the invention, with certain portions thereof broken away;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the forward portion of the power lawnmower shown in Figure l, with the engine shown diagrammatically;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the cutting reel unit shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken along the line 4--4 in Figure 2, showing the combined radius rod connection and ground roller adjustment of the invention;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section along the line 5-5 in Figure 1, showing a portion of the strengthened cutting reel unit structure of the invention;

Figure 6 is a Vertical section along the line 6 6 in Figure 1 showing further details of the cutting reel unit structure and Figure '7 is a vertical section along the line i-l in Figure 5.

Referring to the drawing in detail, Figures 1 and 2 show the forward end of a power lawnmower generally designated Ill, having a rectangular frame Il composed of longitudinal and transverse channel members I2 and I3 respectively to which are connected parallel longitudinal frame members I4 extending rearwardly to the rear portion and rear wheels (not shown). Mounted on the longitudinal frame members I4 is the base portion I5 of an internal combustion engine, generally designated i6 having a crankcase ll upon which is mounted the cylinder assembly it. The engine I6 is conventional and its details form no part of the present invention.

Connected to and driven from the engine crankshaft (not shown) by way of a speed reduction unit i9 is a countershaft 2i) upon which is .nounted a sprocnet and sprocket chain (not shown) which drive a sprocket 2i upon an axle 22 (Figure 1). The latter in turn drives a pair of combined clutch and brake units 23 which in turn drive wheels 2li having tires 25 mounted thereon. The units 23 are individually controlled by means (not shown) in order to steer the mower or to brake it as desired. The opposite ends of the axle 22 are journaled in bearing blocks 25 (Figure 2) bolted to the underside of the longituainal frame members l2. Bolted to and rising from the upper side of one of the frame members i2 is a bearing bracket 2l in which is journaled the outer end of the countershaft 20.

Bolted to the same longitudinal frame member I2 is a pair of shaft hangers 28 and 29 (Figure 1) on which are rotatably mounted a pair of idler sprockets 3U and 3l, and depending therefrom is a shaft hanger 32 (Figures 1 and 2) in which is journaled a shaft 33 carrying a sprocket 34. Mounted on the countershaft 20 near the outer end thereof is a drive sprocket 35 meshing with a sprocket chain Sli which meshes with and is guided by the sprockets 3E), 3| and 34 and which meshes with and drives a sprocket 3l upon the cutting reel shaft 33 oi a cutting reel unit, generally designated 39, hereinafter described in detail.

The cutting reel unit 39 is provided with side members or side plates 49 carrying bearing members 4l (Figure 3) in which the opposite ends of the cutting reel shaft 38 are journaled. The cutting reel shaft 38 carries a cutting reel, generally designated 42 and having a plurality of spiders 43 on the outer ends of which are mounted spiral cutting blades 44. These cooperate with a Xed cutting blade or cutter bar assembly 45 which is bolted as at 45 (Figure 4) to the side plates 40.

Also bolted to the side plates (Figure 4) are opposed shaft hangers or brackets 4l in which are journaled the opposite ends of a roller shaft 48 upon which is mounted a ground roller 49.

58 by which the shaft hanger il is securely' The inem"-Y clamped within the guide grooves bi; ber 5l is provided with an abutment 59 in the form oi an annular flange engaging the" sideY plate lill. Extending outwardly from the abut-d ment 5S is a neck terminating in a ball head 6l.

The ball head iii engages a spherical recess t2- in a plug forced. into the end of ai tubular' radius rod E4, one ci these rods @d being mounted on each side" of' 'the mower'. Engaging the opposit'eside" of' the ball head" @i is4 an annular plug t5 (Figure) also inserted in the enlarged portion of the radius-,rod lii'- and secured positionbyV a lCotter pinV passingv therethrough. The' plug tais-provided with an annular spherica'lseat Eil engagingY the'ball head the neck G of whichpasses through an enlarged hole til in the side wall of the enlarged` portion of theradius rod E4..

The opposite end ci eachradius rod et is provided. with asimilar enlargement lil containing a similar socket and plugi construction to that shown in Figure 4,. this construction engaging the ball head il of a bolt 'E52 which is threaded to receive a retaining. nut land is thereby bolted to a triangular bracket 'it (Figure 2) which in turn depends from and is bolted to the underside Vof the right-hand longitudinal `rame member l2. In this mannenthe radius rods te interconnect the frame il with the out# ter reel unit de" so that the latter may swing upward or downward asU the ground roller i9 encounters hiinimocks'r or depressions in" the ground,bein'g'rnowed.`

The side plates Lili of" cutting' reel unit 359 are interconnected' by' tie' rods" le' (Figures 1 and 3'), the' outerv ends" of' which are reduced in diameter and" threaded to receive retaining nuts`l3` (Figure '7). Thus, thev side'plates' fill'are y interconnected'byV the two tie rods" 'iii' andthe cutter bar assembly" S In or'd'e'rto strengthen the" structure thus provided, and to prevent weaving thereof, with consequent" distortion or twisting of' the c'u'tte'r` bar 45 and uneven en'- gageinent thereof with the" spiral cutting' reel blades iid, th'e'tie rods 'i5' areprovided with a bridge structure', generally designated 'ila rilhe bridge strcture ii' is' connected to the tie rods 'i5 (Figure 5) in close proximity to the side frames or sideplates @il by Ushaped clips i8 which encirclethe tierodslt and are bolted to side' bars 'i9 by bolts 8'@ threaded into threaded holes 8i in the ends oi the barslil', theV bolts 8U passing through theclipsl i8' and through spacing members 32 into theV threaded holes 8i.

Securedv as' by welding to" and resting upon the'spacing members 82 of the forward" clips'll (Figures 5 and 7) isan elongated angle niernber 8`3` ofV L-shaped cross-section whichV therebyv ad ditionally interconnects and strengthens the framework formed by the side plates lili, tie rods l5 and cutter bar assembly Q5. An additional strengthening effect, as well asprotection ofthe cutter reel unit 3S from dustl and grit falling upon it, is provided by a sheet metal apron 84 (Figure 5) the rearward portion of which is secured by the screws 85 to the bars '5S by being threaded into holes 3S therein. The rearward edge of the apron 84 is provided with a downwardly turned harige 3l to further strengthen and protect the parts. The forward edge ci the apron 84 is also provided with a downwardly bent flange 33 which, together with the downwardly turned portion of an angle member 8S is secured to the upwardly turned portion of the angle member 83 -byv screws Sii threaded therethrough at intervals therealong.

v Secured as" by4V welding to the angle member that approximately the mid-point thereof is an upright arrn 9i (Figures 2, 3 and G) for raising Y andloweringtheV cutting reel unit 39 and for additionally connecting it to the forward part ofm the mower The arm si is provided with a transverse hole 92k in which is seated a. ballhe'aded'bolt d3' similar to the'` bolts andsimilarly 'providedfwith a ball head" Sii; The' ball head 9d is receive'dwithin" the" enlarged portion Ib`ofa'c'onnecting rodV 5t and'is'provided with a socketplug construction similar' tothat contained within the''enlarged portionsV 5S and lil' of' the radius rods B: and'shown" more particularly'in'Figure'fi'; l y g The connecting rod'l gt isuoiovidedA atits" rear# ward end with: av tubular transverse portion 97,

this` assembly being approximately 'l"shaped (Figure l). The 'transverse portionn sT is joui'- naledupon" aA shaftn iid-which' inY turn' isjournaled inVv the downwardly projecting flanges of' the forward ends of the longitudi'nal'A frame' mem"- -bers id. Pinned tothe opposite ends 1 of the shaft d5 are' the hubs'l 565'" of" ai Ushapedf bail or liftingnieinber lili; the cross'bal" IiElof which extends' beneath the connecting' rod" t: I

VThe U-'shapedr member it' isprovidedwith an upwardly"extending,anniportion felt carrying apivot pin w8' (Figure 2) to whichis pivoted a link i`il9`.' The opposite' el'db'f'f the'E liril'` i is pivotedt'of a' pivot` pinI i' Hl inountedfinthe lower end of a hand lever lli, which in turn ispivotally' inounted'upon a pivot member H21 carried by' a"J-sha`ped member M3? The-'opposite ends of theL .il-shapedv member VI |13' areL boltedN as at H'li andi 1"!'5 to an upwardly curved'- elongated member Ht; thelatter being bolted as at Eil' to angle brackets H8 which in turn are bolted asw at lill Vto Vthe frame cross'menibers id;-

Also'bolted as atl iZilJand` H4m tolth'e" J-shape'd member H3' is" a: -sect'o'1"'-sha`pe`dY ratchet'- plate i-2l the teeth ofY which are engaged byY apawl- E22 upon the end of aY liiik'i'; An-o'per'ating'rod 123 is hooked* at itsrlower end into v the pawln l-22 and passesupwardl through the hand-lever lliil; which" is* of tubular cnstruetien, toafknob' i211 reciprocably niountednnthe upper end-'or hand-le portion i 2 'oithe"handl'ever-y iii-fig.N

Y Operation'.

In operation, the engine i6 is started?and'` rotatesI thea-XieY 22? by rneans o the-sprocket 2l, thereby transmitting power` to` lthef brake and clutch units 23 andthericeto the wheels Zfi', propelling the' mower- E by meansv` o-i-' its tires" 25 engaging the ground. At thersame tiniegltherotation of the-countersh 1t-2L transmits" power through the-sprocketflandf' sprocketchainf Bti to the 'sprocket' 3*? onthec'uttihgV r'eelcsha'f't't VrotatL ing thelatterf and cuttingthe grass between#the`v spiral' blades f6 and thev cutter ba-r' assembly '-35' As the mower moves forward and the ground roller t9 rises and falls in traversing hummocks or depressions, the cutting reel unit 39 rises and falls, swinging up and down on the radius rods E@ and connecting rods ii around the pivots 'il and IUZ thereof respectively, this construction, in ef fect, constituting a parallel link mechanism. If it is desired to raise the cutting reel unit 39 completely ofi the ground and terminate its cutting action completely, the handle portion IE5 of the hand lever ISI is grasped by the operator and the knob IZi pushed downward by his thumb, disengaging the pawl |22 from the teeth of the ratchet plate I2 I. The operator then swings the hand lever I I I forward, thereby swinging the cross-portion |05 of the U-shaped member or bail I5 upward into engagement with the connecting rod et, swinging the latter upward around its pivot shaft IiIZ and thereby lifting the cutting reel unit 39 through the ball connection 913 of the connecting rod 96 with the arm QI rising from the top of the cutting reel unit 35. When the operator releases the knob I2f-i with the hand lever III swung into its forward position, the pawl |22 re-engages with the ratchet plate yI2I, locking the hand lever I I I, the connecting rod 96, arm 9i and cutting reel unit 3e in their raised positions. To lower the cutting reel unit 3e into its cutting position, the operator reverses the foregoing procedure, swinging the hand lever i I I rearward into the position shown in Figure 2.

lf the cutter bar assembly l5 is not in the proper position for the grass being cut (Figure 4), the operator removes the nuts 5B from the bolt members 5l, withdraws these from the holes 52 in the shaft hangers lll which they then occupy, and reinserts the Shanks 56 in the preferred hole 52, raising or lowering the shaft hangers il until the cutter bar assembly t5 is properly positioned by means of the adjusted position of the ground roller S. The operator then replaces the nuts 53 to clamp the assembly securely together in its adjusted position. By this means, the member 51 serves as a combined adjusting bolt and radius rod connection, considerably simplifying the construction.

While I have shown and described my invention in detail, it is to be understood that the same is to be limited only by the appended claims, for many changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. An auxiliary strengthening structure for attachment to the tie members of the side members of a power lawnmower cutting reel unit, said strengthening structure comprising a frame disposed above said tie members and extending substantially from` one side member to the other side member, and fasteners securing said frame of said strengthening structure to said tie members adjacent their junction with said side members, said frame including an elongated longitudinallyhanged member disposed above one of said tie members.

2. An auxiliary strengthening structure for attachment to the tie members of the side members of a power lawnmower cutting reel unit, said strengthening structure comprising a frame disposed above said tie members and extending substantially from one side member to the other side member, and fasteners securing said frame of said strengthening structure to said tie members adjacent their junction with said side members, said frame including an elongated longitudinallyanged member disposed above one of said tie members and a pair of cross members extending between said tie members adjacent the opposite ends thereof.

3. An auxiliary strengthening structure for attachment to the tie members of the side members of a power lawnmower cutting reel unit, said strengthening structure comprising a frame disposed above said tie members and extending substantially from one side member to the other side member, and fasteners securing said frame of said strengthening structure to said tie members adjacent their junction with said side members, said frame including an elongated longitudinallyflanged member disposed above one of said tie members and a pair of cross members extending between said tie members adjacent the opposite ends thereof, said longitudinally-flanged member being mounted on said cross members above said first-mentioned tie member.

e. An auxiliary strengthening structure for attachment to the tie members of the side members of a power lawnmower cutting reel unit, said strengthening structure comprising a frame disposed above said tie members and extending substantially from one side member to the other side member, and fasteners securing said frame of said strengthening structure to said tie members adjacent their junction with said side members, said frame including a plurality of interconnected longitudinally-ilanged members.

5. An auxiliary strengthening structure for attachment to the tie members of the side members of a power lawnmower cutting reel unit, said strengthening structure comprising a frame disposed above said tie members and extending substantially from one side member to the other side member, and fasteners securing said frame of said strengthening structure to said tie members adjacent their junction with said side meml bers, said frame including a plurality of interconnected longitudinally-flanged members and a pair of cross members extending between said tie members adjacent the opposite ends thereof.

6. An auxiliary strengthening structure for attachment to the tie members of the side mem bers of a power lawnmower cutting reel unit, said strengthening structure comprising a frame disposed above said tie members and extending substantially from one side member to the other side member, and fasteners securing said frame of said strengthening structure to said tie members adjacent their junction with said side members, said frame including a plurality of interconnected longitudinally-flanged members and a pair of cross members extending between said tie members adjacent the opposite ends thereof, said longitudinally-flanged members being mounted on Said cross members above said first-mentioned tie member.

7. An auxiliary strengthening structure for attachment to the tie members of the side members of a power lawnmower cutting reel unit, said strengthening structure comprising a frame disposed above said tie members and extending substantially from one side member to the other side member, and fasteners securing said frame of said strengthening structure to said tie members adjacent their junction with said side members, said frame including a plate-like cover member extending between said tie members.

8. An auxiliary strengthening structure for attachment to the tie members of the side members of a power lawnmower cutting reel unit, said strengthening structure comprising a frame disesonera iposed :above isaid ftie members and `extending sub- -fstantially fromone side member :to the v.other iside member, and fasteners securing said iframe of `saidstrengthening structure to said tie members Vadjacent their junction with said side members, :Salidframe including an `elongated `lrmgtudinallyflanged member and fa plate-like 'cover member yextending between said tie members :and secured to .fsaid longitudinallyelanged member.

9. A kcombined ground' roller bracket adjustment and .radius rod vconnection device .attachable to the side plates of cutting reel units Y'of power llawn-mowers, said `device `comprising ka ground :roller shaft .bracket engaging each side plate, a .fastener :having a bal-l head adapted to `receive a :corresponding socket on one end :of each radius rod a 'threaded shank on said 'fastener passing through said side plate and said vground Aroller shaft bracket, and a rthreaded clamping member on said shank.

10.V A combined ground roller bracket adjustment and radius rod yconnection `device attachable to the side plates o1' cutting `reel units of power lawn-mowers, said device comprising a vground .roller fs-haft bracket engaging each side plate, a 2

fastener having `a -ball head adapted to receive a :corresponding socket on one end -of each .radius rod ia threaded shank on said -fastener Apassing REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the l-e of this patent:

'UNITED STATES VPATENTS Y Nurnloe-r Name Date l1,551,543 Coldwell Y 1 Sept. 1, 1925 1,819,133 `Stegeman etal Aug. 18, 1931 .1,886,408 Locke et al NOV. 8, 1932 1,947,117 Stegeman etal. Feb. 13, 1934 2,335,054 Godwin Nov. 23, 1943 12,378,483 Loewe et al. Y June 19, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4,760 Australia Nov. 2, 1932 

